January 05, 2026
Brothers and sisters,
January was an exciting month as I began my work as the new Director of Government Affairs with the American Train Dispatchers Association.
It began immediately after the holidays when I made my way to headquarters in Cleveland, OH to be introduced to ATDA leadership and to discuss legislative strategy. We spent two full days debriefing on critical issues in train dispatching and rail labor. I thank President Dowell, Secretary Treasurer Sikes, Vice President’s Brandon Denucci and Colin Thurman, General Counsel Erika Diehl-Gibbons, and the rest of the ATDA staff for their help and guidance.
Once back in DC, I booked meetings with other members of the rail labor community to gain perspective on how they operate and their methods for engaging the federal government. Numerous members of labor offered me insights and guidance to help guide our operation forward. Rail labor is a connected community, working strictly under the guise of solidarity. I appreciate the advice of my labor brothers and sisters.
Later in the month I joined our leadership in Phoenix to discuss rail labor healthcare. I learned a significant amount about the operations of the CRLO healthcare plan the helped me to understand the needs of rail labor and dispatchers. During that same trip, I attended the Rail Labor Division (RLD) meeting hosted by the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD). We discussed legislative strategy surrounding a multitude of issues, including RRB, surface reauthorization, and more.
After returning to DC once again, I began my meetings with Congress, bringing these critical rail labor issues to their attention. I started by meeting with key staff on the Hill that are involved in transportation and labor issues. I will continue to grow our presence in Washington, DC and advocate for those priorities critical to our membership.
Reach out with questions or concerns.
In solidarity,
Jeffrey Robb
